Tower of London - the towers England > London > Tower of London > Tower of London towers Tower of London by Kathy McGillick The Tower of London is a combination of buildings begun during the time of William the Conqueror. Originally built as a fortress, to keep hostile Londoners at bay it was also used to sight approaching enemies on the Thames River. It has been used as a palace, a library, a mint, a treasury, a bank, an arsenal and an observatory. The most famous reputation is that of a prison. There are several towers within the Tower of London, the oldest part of the building and the most conspicuous being the White Tower [which was named during the 13th-century when Henry III had it whitewashed}. This is the central keep built by William the Conqueror and completed by his sons William Rufus and Henry I. The walls of the White Tower are 15 feet thick and it is 90 feet high. Of interest is that one of the Four Corners (turrets) contained the first royal observatory. The White Tower currently contains the Chapel of St.

John, one of the few unchanged areas where the Royal Family and the court worshipped and where the knights of the Order of Bath spent their Vigil the night before the king or queen was crowned. The White tower also contains an exhibition of arms, armor and torture instruments. The Middle Tower was built in the 13th century and the archway, together with Byward Tower and Bloody Tower were defended by portcullises (spiked like gates), two of which are still there. The Bloody Tower was originally known as the Garden Tower. [The name Bloody Tower, however, is only traced back to 1571] It was here that two little princes Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York, were supposedly murdered in 1483 with orders from Richard Duke of Gloucester, who was subsequently crowned Richard III. Many years later, during the reign of Charles II, two sets of bones of young boys were found under a stairway (the presiding king ordered the bodies buried in Westminster Abbey) and thus the name Bloody Tower came about due to treachery and murder within its walls.

In 1603 Sir Walter Raleigh became a prisoner here - the period during which he wrote his History of the World, but he was kept "prisoner" in what was considered "comfortable circumstances". He was released in 1616 and died in 1618 when James I had him beheaded. The Wakefield Tower is where Henry VI (founded Eton and Cambridge University) was brutally murdered. In 1471, during the time of the 'Wars of the Roses' - England's medieval civil war, he was stabbed to death while praying. The Wakefield Tower housed the Crown Jewels from 1879-1967 but it is now an empty tower. Important prisoners were kept in Beauchamp Tower, where the inside walls are still covered with graffiti and inscriptions carved by the prisoners. The most elaborate is a memorial to the five Dudley brothers, one of whom was Lord Guilford Dudley, husband of Lady Jane Grey - the pair was executed in 1554. The Tower Green is where two of Henry III's queens and several other people at his request were beheaded.

It was a rare honor to be beheaded inside the tower; most people were executed outside on Tower Hill, so the crowds who enjoyed such events could get a better view. The Traitor's Gate was originally known as Water Gate but the name was changed when it began to be used as a landing place for traitors. This is where the prisoner boats arrived, many hoping they would be ransomed or pardoned. In more modern times, German spies were executed in the courtyards during the two World Wars, and in 1941, Hitler's deputy - Rudolph Hess, was actually imprisoned in the Tower. The Jewel House is where you'll find the Crown Jewels, a collection of gold, silver, precious stones and other royal regalia. The Chapel Royal and St. Peter ad Vincula is the oldest chapel royal in England. It is in this chapel that most of those who died on Tower Hill and six of the seven executed on Tower Green were laid to rest under flagstones without ceremony. Between the Chapel and Tower Green is a small paved area where a scaffold was erected for beheadings. The six people beheaded on the site were three queens of England: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey.

The Queens House built around 1530, probably by the second queen of England and mother of Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn . She lived there only 18 days as a prisoner while awaiting execution and was beheaded on Tower Green for alleged infidelity. It is used now as the Council Chamber and it is here that Guy Fawkes was interrogated before being tortured on the rack in the White Tower and signing a confession incriminating his fellow conspirators. Adjoining the Council Chamber is a room in which William Penn (who founded Pennsylvania) was once a prisoner. The Martin Tower was built by Henry III and is famous as the scene of Colonel Thomas Blood's attempt to steal the crown jewels. King Edward's son returning from abroad interrupted him and his accomplices. The Salt Tower is another tower built by Henry III about 1235. Later it was used as a prison for Jesuits. It also contains a number of inscriptions, the most notable one being a complicated diagram for casting horoscopes cut into the stone wall . In several places on the walls a pierced heart, hand and foot have been carved signifying the wounds of Christ- with a cross and H the sign of the Jesuits.

The Bell Tower was built in the 13th century. In the past when the bell at its top was rung in alarm, drawbridges were raised, the portcullises were dropped and gates were shut. The only time the bell is now rung is in the evening to warn visitors that it is time to leave. Prisoners were kept in the tower. One of the most famous was Sir Thomas Moore, who was at one time a close friend of Henry VIII. More refused to acknowledge the validity of Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon or acknowledge him as supreme head of the Church, and in consequence he was imprisoned there in 1534. He was executed in July 1535 and buried in St. Peters Chapel. Later, one of Henry's own children was imprisoned there - princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I) In 1554 Elizabeth was held by her half sister Mary I on suspicion of being concerned in a plot against the throne.

The Oldest Buildings In London Home » Lifestyle » The Oldest Buildings In London The Oldest Buildings In London Posted by William Wallace on Nov 13, 2009 in Lifestyle | 7 comments London is a city, which can be a bit of contrast. It is a modern vibrant city with countless monstrosities of council tower blocks, especially when you get away from the tourist areas and too many to mention multi storey office buildings that tower above the streets in Central London. In stark contrast to the modern buildings in London, there are some of the oldest buildings you will find in not only in England, but in the entire world. It is both slightly surreal and amazing to see modern monsters of buildings sitting quite literally next door to buildings that are centuries old. I suppose that’s why London is such a cool city to wander around in. It got me to thinking about what are the oldest building in London. The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed roughly 90% of the city, most of the buildings at the time were made from wood. I find it amazing that so much of the city burned to the ground yet only 6 people seemingly died, but that is open to debate.

Old Pubs In London: Always a good place to start is in the pub. So what is the oldest standing pub in London. And I don’t mean the pub with the oldest license, but the oldest actual pub in the same building. Well know one truly knows for sure, there are numerous places that lay claim to the crown. You know how it goes you get countless pubs, because they are real fleapits that are filthy as hell, covered in dust and the toilets are a health hazard, as well as charging extortionate prices for crap lager, which they then use as an excuse for claiming to be the oldest. As opposed to just being a fleapit and they of course have no real basis for the claim of being one of London’s oldest pubs. At the end of the day what is the oldest pub in London is almost a pointless question, but it can be used as legitimate reason for touring around old pubs drinking lots of beer in the aid of research. Well that is going to be my excuse anyway. Spaniards Inn, at Hampstead Heath can trace its origins back to 1585, although it wasn’t recorded as pub until the early 18th century, which I assume means it never had license.

I have drank in underground bars before, which haven’t had licenses, and in my mind they are still bars, whether they have a license or not. Ye Old Cheshire Cheese, which is always high up there on any list of the oldest pubs in London. The current pub was built in 1677 and interestingly enough the cellar, which is the remains of an old monastery dates back to the 13th century. I’m sure the monks would have been brewing plenty of ale in-between there religious duties. Prospect Of Whitby, this pub dates back to 1543 when it was called the Devils Tavern, This pub became notorious during the 17th century as a smugglers meeting place and for the numerous cut throats that frequented the place. The Devils Tavern burnt down in a fire in the 18th century, when it was rebuilt it was renamed after a ship of the same name that was anchored nearby. Ye Olde Mitre Tavern, the sign above the door says established in 1546, even though the present building wasn’t built until 1772, you have to give them credit for trying.

The Olde Wine Shades, this pub was built in 1663 and even survived the fire and has seemingly remained a licensed premises the whole time. The George Inn, this place is one of London’s oldest pubs, situated in Southwark near London Bridge, The George Inn is the city’s only surviving galleried coaching inn. It was rebuilt in 1676 after being damaged in a destructive fire. The George Inn was fortunately saved from demolition and is now in the care of the National Trust. Old Churches in London: In many cities the world over some of the oldest surviving buildings are the churches and cathedrals. I find it amazing how wealthy some of the religious orders were and the amount of money that they spent on building grand and opulent so called houses of God. I’m sure it was worth it and God would approve, that such grand buildings were more worthy than helping the poor and sick. St Etheldreda’s Church, was the town chapel of the Bishops of Ely from about 1250 to 1570. It is the oldest Catholic church in England and one of only two remaining buildings in London from the reign of Edward I.

In the late 1700’s an Act of Parliament allowed the Bishops to sell the Church to the Crown. It was bought by Charles Cole, who then demolished all the buildings on the site, apart from the Chapel and build Ely Palace. It was during its time once one of the most influential places in London with a palace of vast grounds. All Hallows by the Tower, is the oldest church in the City of London and was founded in 675 AD, how much of the orginal church if any still exits, I couldn’t tell you. The place actually predates the Tower of London by almost 300 hundred years. A wee bit of trivia for you, John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the USA, was married in All Hallows in 1797. St Bartholomew the Great, was founded in 1123 by Rahere, a prebendary of St Paul’s Cathedral and later an Augustinian canon, who is said to have erected the church in gratitude after recovering from a fever.

Rahere’s miraculous recovery contributed to the church becoming known for its curative powers, with sick people filling its aisles each St Bartholomew’s Day (August 24). Another wee piece of trivia, Lady Chapel at the east end of the church had previously been used for commercial purposes and it was there that Benjamin Franklin who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, served a year as journeyman printer. Southwark Cathedral, is the oldest Gothic Building in London and was built between 1220 and 1420. A church has been located on the site for over 1000 years. I’m getting carried away with the trivia stuff , John Harvard was baptised in the Church and grew up in Southwark. He was an English Minister who immigrated to New England, America in 1637 and was the first benefactor of the world renowned Harvard University, which he is named after. Temple Church, was built for and by the Knights Templers to be used as there English Headquarters, the building was completed in 1185, which was when the Templers moved in.

The oldest parts of the building date from 1160-1185. Oh no not more trivia, the Church was featured in “The Da Vinci Code”, book and the movie. Which as we all know is based not on truth but in fact Dan Browns very talented imagination and his shrewd marketing skills. There is of course more to London than just old pubs and old Churches. There are many other notable old building kicking around that have nothing to do with religion and the devils brew. Old Buildings In London: Westminster Hall, which is the oldest part of the Houses of Parliament, is one of the largest medieval halls in Europe. It was originally built in 1097 for William Rufus as an banqueting hall. It was remodelled 300 years later by Richard II in a perpendicular Gothic style, with its amazing hammer beam roof. The Tower of London, was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror primarily as a fortress-stronghold.. The oldest and first part of the Tower to built was the White Tower. Throughout the centuries successive Monarchs added to the Tower and there are now 21 separate towers at the Tower of London.

London’s Oldest Terraced Houses, can be found at 52-55 Newington Green, N16 9PX. These splendid big houses are London’s oldest surviving brick terraced houses built in 1658, before the Great Fire and are, unsurprisingly, Grade I listed. Bromley Hall, is an early Tudor period manor house in Bow, Tower Hamlets, London, which was built in the 1490’s and is believed to be the oldest brick house in London. Theatre Royal In Drury Lane, is the oldest in use theatre building in London, the current building, which was built in 1812 is the fourth theatre to built on its present site, the first was in 1663. Baker Street Underground Station, which was opened in 1863 is the oldest station on London Underground and the oldest underground station in the world. There are plenty more old and historic buildings in London, which are worthy of a mention, but alas I have ran out of time…..

Related posts: London's oldest bits - Time Out London Tree | Loos | Boozer | Church | Clock | House | Shrub | Restaurant | Thing London's oldest… Tree The notion of ‘oldest’, especially applied to a city whose roots lie as deep and as knotted as London’s, can be a tricky one to untangle. Take London’s oldest tree: if we’re talking Paleozoic-era old, the city’s most wizened arboreal relics can be seen cluttering up the east lawn of the Natural History Museum – sections from a fossilised tree trunk that paleobotanists reckon lived around 330 million years ago. But the capital’s most senior living citizen is the magnificent ‘Ancient Yew’ in St Andrew’s churchyard in Totteridge, a tree that’s been estimated to be knocking on 2,000 years old by some experts, including one who’s been around almost as long, David Bellamy (the vicar can show you the certificate).

So as a sapling this yew may well have overlooked the Romans building a fort three miles to the west at Brockley Hill – which, in AD45, would have been just four or five hours’ march along the ancient highway of Watling Street from the brand new settlement of Londinium. St Andrew's Church, Totteridge, N20 8PR (8445 6787, ). Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, SW7 5BD (7942 5000, ). Waste outlet on the Tower of London's White Tower London's oldest… Loos Londoners’ lifestyles and habits have changed in countless ways over the centuries, but one thing they’ve always had to do is poo. Hard evidence for this can be seen on the north and east walls of the Tower of London’s central White Tower (London’s oldest intact building, FYI, built between 1075 and 1101), where spill-holes for a rudimentary Norman drainage system survive.

Inside, the log flume connects to six ‘garderobes’, chamber-wall recesses with squatting-holes where one would squit one’s medieval business, and which doubled as foul-airing cupboards for clothes (in the hope that the smell would ward off moths). Castles are all very well, but the capital’s most antiquated lav in a private residence – and quite possibly the East End’s first bit of exposed-plumbing chic – is at Sutton House in Homerton, whose Tudor widdling place dates from 1535. The austere brick alcove is fitted with a lead pipe to dribble one’s privy matter into a cesspit beside the home – not too much of a problem in rural Hackney at the time, but according to Jerry White, author of new history of the capital ‘London: The Story of a Great City’ , within the walls of the city, ‘there’d be shit everywhere. Even Westminster was as smelly and foul as parts of the City or the East End.

Until London’s 3,000 or so cesspools were closed and connected to drainage from about 1848 to 1860, there was no part of London that didn’t stink of sewage.’ Sutton House, 2-4 Homerton High St, E9 6JQ (8986 2264, ). Tower of London, EC3N 4AB (0844 482 7777, ). The Olde Wine Shades London's oldest… Boozer The argument over which pub deserves the title ‘London’s ye oldeste’ is bitterly contested . At the risk of being barred from The Lamb & Flag (Covent Garden), Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (Fleet Street), The Prospect of Whitby (Wapping) and about 15 others, we’re plumping for The Olde Wine Shades on Martin Lane. While technically a wine bar, it’s been rosying Londoners’ cheeks continuously since 1663, and is the City’s only groggery to have survived the Great Fire of 1666. ‘This is likely to have been among the better sort of tavern,’ says White.

‘In the Restoration period, pubs played an important part in the lives of middle-class men, where they would go to have business meetings and set up companies.’ Much like the clientele of a modern Square Mile wine bar, then – except for one tradition that, sadly, appears to have lapsed: ‘They were often ready to come to blows, and since many of them had swords, that could be a very dangerous thing.’ The Olde Wine Shades, 6 Martin Lane, EC4R 0DP (7626 6876).

Tree | Loos | Boozer | Church | Clock | House | Shrub | Restaurant | Thing London's oldest… Place of worship There are a few candidates for London’s oldest holy place, depending on: whether you’re a completist – parts of St Bartholomew the Great in West Smithfield have been in use since 1143, though its original structure has been all but lost through renovations and partial demolition; on whether you believe in reincarnation – Jerry White credits good old St Paul’s , in its various guises since it was founded in AD604, as the capital’s oldest church on a continuous site; or on who you pray to: Bevis Marks , founded in 1702, is the capital’s longest-serving synagogue, while its first purpose-built mosque, the ornate Fazl Mosque in Southfields, was inaugurated relatively recently, in 1926. But pre-dating all of these is the second-century AD Roman Temple of Mithras, whose ruins were dug up in 1954 by builders near Mansion House, and now reside above a car park in Queen Victoria Street.

Mithras was the Persian god of light, and, explains White, ‘the workers also found statuettes of other gods there. Whenever the Romans invaded a place, they incorporated the local gods into their pantheon, so people could choose who to pray to.’ That spirit of respect is about to be reciprocated with Walbrook Square , a new Norman Foster super-development that includes plans to restore the temple to its original site, where it will go on public display. Tree | Loos | Boozer | Church | Clock | House | Shrub | Restaurant | Thing London's oldest… Clock According to Rory McEvoy, curator of horology at Greenwich’s Royal Observatory , ‘we think the oldest clock in London is an anonymous Burgundy spring clock which would have been made in the mid 1400s, which is at the British Museum on loan from the V&A.’ He cites the capital’s oldest public clock, meanwhile, as being the one that juts from the tower of Christopher Wren’s St James Garlickhythe (a church whose parish records also happen to be the oldest in England, going back to 1535).

Though the dial is a replica of the original, which was destroyed in World War II, its mechanism has been in motion since 1682, the same year a famous cosmic pendulum, Halley’s Comet, visited the capital’s skies and was observed by, among others, Isaac Newton, Edmund Halley himself and the Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed – who saw it from Greenwich Observatory. St James Garlickhythe, Garlick Hill, EC4V 2AF (7236 1719, ). British Museum, Great Russell St, WC1B 3DG (7323 8000, ). 41-42 Cloth Fair, EC London's oldest… Lived-in house One of the City’s great survivors, dodging the Great Fire, German bombs and developers’ bulldozers alike, is its oldest continuous residence: 41-42 Cloth Fair, in West Smithfield.

Tributes to the house’s pedigree can be seen scratched into the windows in the living room on the second floor – the etched autographs are a litany of luminaries and aristos who have visited the site since 1929, including the Queen Mother, several Lord Mayors, Winston Churchill and the poet John Betjeman, who used to come to the house to work because he liked the view. The place was built between 1597 and 1614, when, says White, ‘Cloth Fair was a street of shops. You’d have had a shop on the ground floor, with the shopkeeper living upstairs with his servants and family. Smithfield itself was quite a mixed area at that time,’ he continues, ‘though if you moved west a little, to Holborn and Clerkenwell, you’d be in some of the worst slums in London.’ Four centuries later, and you can snap up this middling Jacobean artisan’s home, recently put on the market , for a stately £5.5 million. That’s £220,000 in stamp duty alone.

Which, incidentally, is also an unlikely survivor from the seventeenth century, initially levied in 1694 as a four-year emergency tax to fund a war with France. Thanks, France. 41-42 Cloth Fair, EC1A 7JQ. For viewings call Savills estate agents on 7730 0822. Tree | Loos | Boozer | Church | Clock | House | Shrub | Restaurant | Thing London's oldest… Shrub Out in the suburban wilds of Chiswick there lives a wisteria that’s been blooming every spring since the Regency period, and is thought to be the longest-surviving specimen in the UK. Coincidentally, the wall it’s been scaling since it was brought over from China in 1816 belongs to London’s oldest beer-makers, Fuller’s, which was formally established in 1845 – though ales and porters have been brewed on the same site since Elizabethan times. The Griffin Brewery, Chiswick Lane South, W4 2QB (8996 2000, ).

Rules restaurant, Covent Garden London's oldest… Restaurant Rules, on Maiden Lane in Theatreland, booms its ‘London’s oldest restaurant’ credentials from its awnings.

Its founder, Thomas Rule, began selling oysters here in 1798, when, according to White, Londoners were yet to cotton on to the idea of dining out: ‘The word “restaurant” only appeared in London in the eighteenth century; a few “French ordinaries” – as they were known – began popping up in Soho after 1685, with the first wave of Huguenot immigrants, but right up until the 1890s, eating out had a slightly foreign and louche feel about it.’ British-run Rules would have been unusual, then – and possibly not the regal Georgian dining experience today’s heritage-rich decor and menu (heavy on game, shellfish and gin) imply: ‘Restaurants were very masculine places to be, not at all romantic,’ says White, ‘and some, like St James – or “Jimmy’s” – in Piccadilly, were famously haunts to pick up prostitutes.’ Rules, 35 Maiden Lane, WC2E 7LB (7379 0258, ).

Tree | Loos | Boozer | Church | Clock | House | Shrub | Restaurant | Thing London's oldest… Thing So what’s the ultimate, indisputably oldest thing in the capital? It’s to be found – where else? – in the Natural History Museum: a rock that bears the fossil imprint of cyanobacteria , one of the Earth’s earliest life forms. It was discovered in Western Australia in 1993 and dates from 3.5 billion years ago, making it more than three-quarters the age of the Earth itself – something to console yourself with the next time you’re waiting for the Northern Line to Old Street. Tower of London, London Tower of London - hrp.org.uk The Tower of London was built at the beginning of the eleventh century by William the conqueror. The tower was expanded during the thirteenth century into the fortified complex that we know today. The Tower's most popular attraction is its famous collection of Crown Jewels. Tower of London Construction of the Tower of London was initiated in 1070 by William the Conqueror, shortly after his victory at Hastings in 1066. The Tower was built to enforce the power of the Norman king over the newly conquered land.

The fortress, strategically located at the Thames, was originally not more than a temporary wooden building which was replaced later by the White Tower. Over time the complex was expanded into a stronghold with about twenty towers. Today the Tower of London is best known for its Crown Jewels, but it used to be notorious for the many political opponents of the kings that were locked, tortured and killed in the Tower. The Tower was also a royal residence: several kings lived here, especially during turbulent times when the donjon seemed a lot safer than the palace in Westminster. White Tower The White Tower The oldest part of the fortress is the so-called White Tower, which was completed in 1097. This keep was long the tallest building in London at 27.4 meters (90ft). Its walls are 4.6 meter wide. The tower was whitewashed during the reign of Henry III, which gave the tower's facade its white appearance. Ever since the tower has been known as White Tower. The building has four domed turrets at each corner. Three of them have a square shape, the other is round, due to its spiral staircase. The round turret was long used as an observatory.

Other Towers The Tower of London was significantly expanded in the thirteenth century, during the reign of Henry III, when two defensive walls were built around the White Tower. The inner wall had thirteen towers and the outer wall another six. The towers were mostly used to imprison political opponents. Traitors' Gate Some of the most famous prisoners locked in the Tower were two princes, the sons of king Edward IV. After Edward's dead in 1483 the children were locked in the Bloody Tower by their uncle, who would later ascend the throne as king Richard III. The princes were never seen again and were probably killed by guards. The St. Thomas Tower is located close to the Bloody Tower. Here, prisoners were brought into the fortress by boat through the Traitor's gate. Important prisoners were often locked in the Beauchamp Tower, sometimes with their servants. An inscription on the wall of the tower is believed to refer to Lady Jane Grey, who, nine days after she was crowned Queen, was executed on Tower Green, an open terrain in the Tower of London. Byward Tower Thomas More was imprisoned in the Bell Tower until his execution after he refused to accept king Henry VIII as head of the Anglican church.

Even Queen Elisabeth I was confined here for some time. Yeoman Warders The main entrance of the Tower of London is at the Byward Tower, where you'll find the so-called Beefeaters or Yeoman Warders. Dressed in historic clothes, they not only guard the tower, but also give guided tours of the fortress. One of the about forty Yeoman Warders is known as the Ravenmaster, responsible for the ravens that have been living here for centuries. Yeoman Warder Legend has it that the Tower and the kingdom will fall if the ravens leave. Hence King Charles II placed the birds under royal protection and the wings of the ravens are clipped to prevent them from flying away. Crown Jewels The most famous tourist attraction in the Tower of London is the collection of Crown Jewels that has been on display here since the seventeenth century, during the reign of Charles II. Most of the jewels were created around the year 1660, when the monarchy was reinstalled. The majority of the older crown jewels were destroyed by Oliver Cromwell. The jewels can be found in the Jewel House, which is part of the Waterloo Barracks just north of the White Tower.

Some of the highlights of the collection are the 530 carat First Star of Africa, which is set in the Imperial State Crown Scepter of the Cross; the Imperial State Crown with more than 2800 diamonds and the famous Koh-I-Noor, a 105 carat diamond. More Sights There's plenty more to see in the Tower of London, such as the Royal Armories, which includes the personal armory of King Henry VIII, one of the world's largest. The medieval palace in the Tower of London is also open to visitors and there are often reenactments of historic events in the fortress. For more information on the highlights of the Tower of London, check out their excellent and exhaustive website . Tower of London: Facts & History Tower of London: Facts & History By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor | January 23, 2014 11:07pm ET MORE Throughout its history, the Tower of London has served many purposes, including royal residence, barracks, armory, prison and museum.

Credit: Marek Stefunko | Shutterstock The Tower of London is a 900-year-old castle and fortress in central London that is notable for housing the crown jewels and for holding many famous and infamous prisoners. Throughout its history, the tower has served many purposes: it housed the royal mint (until the early 19th century), a menagerie (which left in 1835), a records office, an armory and barracks for troops. Until the 17th century, it was also used as a royal residence. First fortifications William the Conqueror created the first fortifications after the conquest of London in A.D. 1066. The Norman invader lacked support among the people of the city and he feared its inhabitants could throw him out. William of Poitiers, an 11th century writer who described William the Conqueror and his conquests, wrote that “certain strongholds were made in the city against the fickleness of the vast and fierce population.” These would come to include what is now called the “White Tower,” the innermost building in the castle, which gained its named after the exterior was whitewashed in the 13th century by King Henry III.

Tower historian Geoffrey Parnell writes in his book " The Tower of London Past & Present " (Sutton Publishing, 1998) that the tower was expanded for about 250 years after William the Conqueror’s time. Today, the complex's series of buildings and fortifications sprawls over 12 acres (5 hectares). Famous prisoners and torture Throughout its history the tower was used to imprison a wide range of prisoners, from deposed monarchs to more common criminals. Prisoners included Lady Jane Grey, who was queen for about a week in the 16th century before she was deposed by Mary I. Also imprisoned there were two princes, Edward and Richard, ages 12 and 9, who were the sons of Edward IV (died 1483). They appear never to have left the tower alive and some thought they were killed by Richard III , their uncle who took the throne for himself. Two of Henry VIII’s wives, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, were both imprisoned and later executed. Henry VIII, who turned England into a Protestant country, also had a number of dissenting clergyman committed to the tower and later killed, including his former counselor Thomas More.

Another notable prisoner was Guy Fawkes, who in 1605 attempted to blow up the House of Lords and the monarch by detonating gunpowder in the cellars below. He was imprisoned in the tower and tortured. “The king authorised the use of torture on Fawkes, with ‘gentler methods’ to be used first and, if he did not co-operate, more brutal ones later,” writes historian Stephen Porter in his book " The Tower of London: The Biography " (Amberley Publishing, 2012). He notes that Venetian ambassador Nicolo Molin wrote that “for two successive days he underwent the most excruciating torture without saying anything except that the conspirators were twelve in number, whose names he would not mention.” Fawkes was executed not long afterward. The history of torture at the Tower of London is a popular subject; however, Porter notes that many of the prisoners, particularly those of noble birth, were treated well. In some cases, they were even allowed to have servants at the tower and leave the castle at times. One of the best descriptions of torture comes from John Gerard, a Jesuit who was imprisoned in 1594 during a time of religious upheaval.

He later escaped and survived to tell a tale of being tortured in what appears to be the basement of the White Tower. “Then they put my wrists into iron gauntlets and ordered me to climb two or three wicker steps. My arms were then lifted up and an iron bar was passed through the rings of one gauntlet, then through the staple and rings of the second gauntlet. This done, they fastened the bar with a pin to prevent it slipping and then, removing the wicker steps, they left me hanging by my hands and arms fastened above my head.” (Source: Tower of London website ) In the late 18th and 19th centuries, the tower was used less commonly for prisoners. The last prisoner of note to spend time in the tower was Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s deputy, who fled to Scotland in 1941 and was sent to the tower briefly until he was transferred. Crown jewels and other treasures Today, the crown jewels are one of the most popular attractions at the Tower of London. The jewels include the crowns worn by the monarch at coronation and at the opening of Parliament.

Porter notes that the use of the tower as a repository for royal treasure began in earnest in 1303, when a number of treasures were stolen from the Abbey of St. Peter at Westminster. The remaining treasures were brought to the tower, which was the most heavily fortified spot in London, for safekeeping. A new jewel house was built against the south side of the White Tower in 1508. Much of the royal regalia were destroyed in the mid-17th century when England became a republic for a brief time. “The oldest piece of the Regalia [surviving today] is the 12th century gold Anointing Spoon, used to anoint the Sovereign with holy oil,” writes a team of researchers on the official Tower of London website. “Apart from the three steel coronation swords (the Swords of Temporal Justice, of Spiritual Justice and of Mercy), this is the only piece that survived the destruction of the pre-Civil War Regalia in 1649-50.” The tower also contains an impressive collection of armor, which is a treasure unto itself.

Shown in an exhibit called the “Line of Kings,” a show at the tower that first started more than 300 years ago, it features such items as a life-size wooden horse carved about 1690 and a set of armor, gilded with gold, created for Charles I around 1612. The Yeomen Warders, also known as Beefeaters, guard the Tower of London. Beefeaters The bearded Yeoman Warders, also called “Beefeaters,” guard the tower today. First mentioned about 500 years ago the Warders “or ‘Waiters,’ as they were often referred to, formed and acted likely a friendly society, sharing, by way of dividends, the rewards of their official and unofficial duties,” writes Parnell. There was money to be made by renting out parts of the ground and by showing visitors around. “The post of Yeoman Warder was handed down through the family or sold.

This time-honored practice was dealt a fatal blow in 1826, when the Duke of Wellington, as Constable of the Tower, ordered that in the future the post was to be occupied by worthy non-commissioned officers of the Household Cavalry, Foot Guards and Infantry of the Line, solely on their regiment’s recommendation,” writes Parnell, noting that the Warders lost the last of their money-making privileges, the right to sell postcards, in 1923. Ravens A flock of ravens resides at the tower, cared for by the Yeoman Warder Ravenmaster. According to the Tower of London website, legend says that the tower — and the monarchy — will fall if the six ravens ever leave the fortress. Charles II is said to have been the first monarch to insist that the ravens be protected. He did so despite the protests of royal astronomer John Flamsteed, who complained that the ravens kept leaving droppings on his telescope. According to legend, this led Charles to move the Royal Observatory to Greenwich.

The tower as a fortress While the tower was first built as a fortress, its usefulness as a bastion faded as gunpowder-based siege engines (such as cannons) became widely adopted in Europe. Porter notes that new gun platforms were erected on it in the 1680s, and Parnell writes that as late as the 1860s, when the United Kingdom feared invasion by France, heavy guns were positioned near the Tower to help defend London. However, as time went on, the tower’s military importance mainly lay in the fact that it was a central location where arms and ammunition could be kept and troops could be marshaled on their way to join armies in Europe. Porter writes that a grand storehouse, started in 1688 and completed when William and Mary were on the British throne (1689-1702), was built to house weapons and ammunition. “The new Grand Storehouse was 345 feet (105 meters) long and 56 feet (17 meters) wide, of two stories and an attic story,” he writes.

“Above the centrally placed main entrance was a large pediment, carved by John Young, with the royal arms flanked by horses, cannon, drums and other military equipment.” This pediment survives to present day. This version of the Imperial State Crown was worn by George V and is now housed in the Tower of London. Credit: Public domain. The tower as an attraction The history of the tower as an attraction goes back at least as early as the 17th century when the “Line of Kings” exhibition was first set up. The tower had other attractions that drew non-military visitors to it. For instance, the royal menagerie, in essence an early zoo, had a wide range of animals until it was closed in 1835, including lions, an ostrich and even a polar bear. These animals were given as gifts to various monarchs. Porter writes that James I (1566-1625) was particularly fond of his lions.

He once saw a lioness giving birth and “was so fearful that the cubs might die that he sent a description of a nipple to be attached to a glass bottle, so that they may be fed.” Porter notes that in 1753, when the book "An Historical Description of the Tower of London and its Curiosities" was published, it included biographies of the tower’s lions and provided information on other creatures present, including a golden eagle, an ostrich, a horned owl, bears, tigers, a racoon, a leopard and even a baboon. This menagerie would be removed from the tower and incorporated into an off-site zoo in 1835, but by then there were other things to attract tourists. The tower’s history as a prison for some of England’s most famous individuals attracted visitors, providing the Yeoman Warders a chance to show tourists around (and for a time, make some extra money while doing so). In the 19th century, the tower’s medieval history so intrigued England that the tower was “restored” in such a way that its medieval aspects were magnified.

Parnell writes that this had some unfortunate consequences as parts of the tower not seen as being “medieval” enough, such as the records office, were torn down. Today, the Tower of London is one of the most famous castles in the world and is now a World Heritage Site attracting more than 2 million visitors a year. The main threat to the site today is not rebels, foreign armies or falling bombs (bomb damage happened during World War II) but rather the exhaust of cars. It’s a problem that threatens to turn the White Tower into a yellow color , something which none of the previous threats could ever do. Tower of London History and Photos The White Tower at the Tower of London Overview and Introduction Founded nearly a millennium ago, The Tower of London has been expanded upon over the centuries by many a king and queen. The first foundations were laid in 1078 and the castle has been constantly improved and extended. The Tower of London is the oldest palace, fortress and prison in Europe. History has it that King Edward of England backed down on his promise to give the throne to William, Duke of Normandy and ended up giving the throne to Harold Godwinson, his English brother in law.

William, quite angry, sent his army across the English Channel to conquer England and on October 14, 1066 he met Harold at Hastings. The Duke's Norman warriors won the battle, and later that year on Christmas day Wiiliam was crowned king. William decided he needed a stronghold to keep the unruly citizens of London in line. The site upon which William chose to build his fortress was the very same site upon which Claudius, the Roman Emperor, had built a fortress more than a thousand years before that and traces of the Roman wall are still seen within the Tower grounds. The addition of other smaller towers, extra buildings, walls and walkways, gradually transformed the original building into the splendid example of castle, fortress, prison, palace and finally museum that we enjoy today. The Tower began its life as a simple timber and stone enclosure. The original structure was completed by the addition of a ditch and palisade along the north and west sides. This enclosure then received a structure of stone, which came to be called The Great Tower and eventually The White Tower, as we know it today. Around the year 1240 King Henry III made the Tower of London his home.

He whitewashed the tower, widened the grounds to include a church, and added a great hall and other buildings. The Normans called the tower 'La Tour Blanche' [White tower]. The White Tower formed the basis of a residential palace and fortress suited for a king or queen. As history has shown to its occupants, the Tower of London became the perfect all-purpose complex. The Tower of London has been used as a fortress to protect a prison, used to imprison (for many an accused, it was the last sight they saw on earth), as a home for kings and queens, and as a royal mint and treasury. Originally, the caps at the top of the four turrets were conical, but were replaced by the present onion-shaped ones in the sixteenth century. It was Henry III that renamed the entire area the Tower of London to White Tower. Although he used it as a prison, he continued to use it as a palace and entertained guests and many came with gifts of animals. These gifts were kept near the drawbridge where he built Lion Tower; a zoo where visitors would be greeted by roaring beasts. Today it houses the Crown Jewels and is keeper to the Royal Ravens.

The ravens are flightless birds due to the fact their wings are clipped and this tradition points to the superstition that the English still believe dating back from time of Charles II that when there are no longer ravens in the Tower both the White Tower and the Commonwealth of England would fall. The Tower was a dynamic and changing project for the kings of England, king after king built upon the Tower adding walls and smaller towers (thirteen inner and six outer) and finally encircling it was a moat whose water was delivered by the Thames River. Today the official title of the Tower is still 'Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London' although there isn't actually a Tower of London. It is not quite known when the name was first used but through the ages Tower of London has become the accepted term of description for the entire complex. In part two of this series of articles on the Tower of London we'll take a closer look at the history of the Tower, and some of the famous (and infamous) events that have transpired within its walls.

Facts about the Tower of London The Yeomen Warders job title is "Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary". Tower Prisoners Many people have been locked in the Tower, for religious beliefs or suspected treason. Famous prisoners have included Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh and Elizabeth I. Many Tudor's prisoners entered the Tower of London through the Traitors' Gate. Elizabeth I was held prisoner in the Tower for two months by the order of her half sister, Queen Mary . Mary felt that her throne was being threatened by Elizabeth, so she imprisoned her in the Tower The White Tower In the centre of the Tower of London is the famous White Tower. It is the oldest part of the fortress and was built on the site of the Norman Keep built by William the Conqueror. The Tower, or Bloody Tower as it is known, has been host to many famous executions and imprisonments, including those of Anne Boleyn , Catherine Howard , Lady Jane Grey and Sir Walter Raleigh. The curtain wall (outer wall) protecting the White Tower What can be seen at the Tower of London today?

Today the Tower of London houses the Crown Jewels and is open to the public as a museum. The Crown Jewels are housed in this building The Legend of The Ravens Ravens have lived at the Tower of London for hundreds of years. Legend has it that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London the White Tower will crumble and a great disaster shall befall England. Where next? You could cross the river over Tower Bridge and walk along the south bank passed City Hall. On the south bank of the river Thames you will see among other things the Golden Hinde and Shakespeare Globe . Further up the river is the The London Eye . Tower of London Contact information The Tower of London played an important role in Tudor history. Although it wasn't a major residence for the Tudor monarchs as it had been for the Plantagenets and earlier dynasties, it did serve as a prison very frequently. TRAITOR'S GATE When you first arrive at the Tower, you walk by the water entry which has come to be known as Traitor's Gate. Many famous prisoners arrived at the Tower this way, including Elizabeth I before she became Queen, when she was imprisoned by her sister Mary .

Elizabeth is said to have proclaimed upon that landing in 1554: "Here lands as true a subject, being prisoner, as ever landed at these stairs." TOWER GREEN AND SCAFFOLD SITE There is a plaque showing the site of the scaffold used for the private executions on the Tower Green. Seven famous prisoners were executed here. The private executions took place on the Tower Green within the walls of the Tower to avoid embarrassing the prisoner or the monarch. Normally, the executions took place outside on Tower Hill and were usually viewed by thousands of spectators. A plaque shows the names of those executed on the Tower Green along with the dates. CHAPEL OF ST. PETER AD VINCULA The original Chapel of St. Peter's was outside the Tower walls until they were expanded by Henry III. The Chapel has served as the place of worship for the Tower community from that time onward. (The Chapel in the White Tower was only for the sovereign and the court) The present form of the chapel dates from 1519-1520 and is a rare example of early Tudor church building. All of those executed on the Tower Green were buried in the Chapel and many executed on Tower Hill were buried here as well.

The executed prisoners had their bodies hastily buried without markers. The Chapel was renovated in 1876 during the reign of Queen Victoria. The remains uncovered in the nave of the church (some with still intact coffins) were re-interred in the crypt. The remains that were uncovered in the chancel were reburied under the marble in front of the altar. Some of these skeletons were identified: Anne Boleyn and her cousin Kathryn Howard notable among them. THE QUEEN'S HOUSE Built in the reign of Henry VIII , the Queen's House is currently the home of the Resident Governor of the Tower of London. Originally, the Lieutenant of the Tower lived here and was the custodian of several famous prisoners: Lady Jane Grey , Guy Fawlkes and the last prisoner held in the Tower: Rudolf Hess in 1941. Anne Boleyn is said to have stayed here before her execution as well (although the current buildings date from after her time as Queen). THE WHITE TOWER The oldest part of the Tower complex, construction is thought to have begun in 1078 under the orders of William the Conqueror. It is the oldest example of a Norman keep in England.

Its dimensions are 90 feet tall and 107x118 feet across. The entrance to the Tower is on the first floor (second story in America) via a removable staircase, designed to make invasion of the Tower more difficult. The name "White Tower" probably comes from when it was painted white during the reign of Henry III (1216-1272). The onion domes were added to the turrets in the 16th century. The earlier ones were probably cones or pyramids. The Chapel of St. John the Evangelist is located on the second floor of the White Tower. It is one of the earliest church interiors preserved in England. At one time the columns were possibly painted in bright colors. This was the place of worship for the sovereign and court when they were at the Tower. (Regular residents would, and still do, attend services in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula.) Some famous events in royal history took place here: Elizabeth of York (Queen to Henry VII ) lay in state here after her death in childbirth in 1503. Mary I was betrothed to Philip of Spain by proxy here in 1554.

The White Tower has been used as a residence, a prison, a place for state events, an astronomical observatory and a repository for papers. The first record of the Armouries in the White Tower is from the reign of Elizabeth I in 1565. In 1599 there is record of a servant appointed to collect entrance fees. Soon after though, it became a storehouse for arms and records. (Some genius even decided to put a lot of papers next to the gunpowder stores!) In the late 19th century, it was opened to the public. THE BELL TOWER Several famous prisones were held in the Bell Tower during Tudor times, including Sir Thomas More , Bishop John Fisher and the Princess Elizabeth. During special celebrations for the year 2000, the cell of Thomas More was opened to the public. THE BEAUCHAMP TOWER This tower was where the sons of John Dudley , Duke of Northumberland were held after the attempt to put Jane Grey on the throne instead of Mary I. It has a large number of carvings etched into the walls by various prisoners.

Question: Which is the oldest tower of the Tower of London?
Answer: The White Tower